Aubrey Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I need some help revising goals. Fwiw, I've got a 7yo, 4yo, 9mo old, & baby on the way...I'm about 4mos pg. Here's what we've got (for 2nd g & preK 4): Subject: My current plan--what we actually do--my ideas for revising my goals History: SOTW 2: 1+ch/wk, 1 narration/section, 1 map, & 1 project for every 3 ch or so--1 ch/mo or so--we're only on ch 17 w/ a new baby arriving in early Aug/late July, so I'm mostly skipping all the projects & trying to squeeze in 2 ch/wk. I've TRIED to cut back on narrations, but ds really needs the practice. Science: Usborne Earth, Space, Dinosaurs: 2-3 2 page spreads/wk, 1 narration ea, 1 pic ea, 1-2 project/ experiment every other week or so.--1 2p spread every other mo or so--duh. I got the Usb books so ds could read them himself. For the last week or so, I've had him read a 2p spread every day, copy the most interesting sentence for his narration, & draw a pic. It takes him under 30 min, he's delighted, & it's getting done. If we ever get around to the experiments, cool. If not, he's less science deprived. Spelling: SWO: 1 ch/wk--spelling? what's that?--just, um, do it. Grammar: FLL: 1 lesson/day--5 lessons a day, one day a month, every 3 mos or so--I'd like permission to drop grammar. BOTH my 7yo & 4yo LOVE FLL; I hate it. No, I HATE it. I can't take it anymore, & I've decided that ds can be well-educated if he doesn't get any more grammar until 3rd g, when I will buy something better. Please?? Reading: 1-2hrs daily independent reading, in the AM before everybody wakes up & during nap time, reading w/ me 20-30 min/day from 2nd g Abeka readers--ds reads all the time. He wakes up BEFORE 5AM, gets dressed, & reads until I get up (around 7-8, LOL). Unless he needs a nap because he's sick, he reads in the afternoons, too. I barely ever sit w/ him anymore to listen.--He can read an entire MTH book in about an hr, & when I do sit w/ him, he makes very few mistakes, but...at this pt, that's all he's reading. I feel like I ought to introduce something a little harder & continue to sit w/ him, at least once a week or so, to make sure he's on track & not developing any bad habits. Is that right, or is that ps background talking? Fwiw, I also read a ch or so from a longer novel at bedtime, when I put them to bed. Dh usually puts them down w/ a song, though. Reading (pK4): Alphaphonics: 1p/day Handwriting: HWOT: 1p/day; 1 letter/day for 4yo--we don't actually do this everyday, but it's not a big priority for me. I'm happy w/ both their handwriting, & ds can do his wb pretty independently, so no problems here. Math: Singapore: 1-2pp/day from the text, 1 lesson/day from the workbook--this is my fav subj to teach & thus the one I'm most likely to get to. No problems here, either. Math (pK4): Saxon: 1 side of 1 ws/day--1 side/wk? maybe.--I really loathe Saxon. It's SOOOO tedious. This is ds's leftovers from when he was doing Saxon, & we're STILL not using it all up! I've dropped the teacher wb lessons, etc., & just giving her the ws as if they stood alone. So she's practicing writing numbers & counting. (And that's for FIRST g!! You'd think it would be harder. Works for her, though.) Spanish: Spanish is Fun: make 5 flashcards OR do 1 lesson/day--look at the Spanish book & feel guilty--Ideally, I wanted my dc to learn a modern fl while they were preschool age, develop it in early elem, start Latin in 3rd g, & choose a language in 8th or 9th. Minimum. But I'm LAZY, & languages are not for lazy people. We've made it to ch 3, & we've been "doing" Spanish since 1st g. (We were w/out curric until Jul of last yr, though.) As much as I hate to, I'm thinking of dropping Spanish. I think I need to focus on basics, to brace us for the 2nd new baby in under 2 yrs, to reduce the feelings of guilt I have, & to be ready to start something (like Latin) fresh next yr. Otoh, if I'm a Spanish drop-out, what's to keep me from dropping out of Latin, too? Partly, the curric we're using, much as I like it, seems to be geared twd slightly older dc & mine struggle to keep up. I have to do a lot of the work orally w/ them. Dh says that's because I haven't taught ds to read & write Sp, only speak it. He might be right, & I might need to press on w/ some of dh's very valid suggestions. But then I look at the book, &... eeeeeew! So...am I way off? Being reasonable? I know there's not any music or art. Bummer, I'd like those. I plan to address individual artists/composers & their styles, etc as they come up on the timeline. Thanks for your thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 You know what? Your oldest is 7. If you did nothing but math and read good books for the next 6 months, he would be *fine*. Honest. There is nothing in that six months that he won't be able to catch up on later. Really. I promise. If I were you, I would drop history and science down to just reading books. Do what you can. Read through SOTW, but don't worry about the rest. Do what's fun, and what you feel up for. Spelling and grammar can both wait. Keep up with some copywork, and the narrations, as much as you are able. Rent fun Spanish videos, for exposure. Start Latin when you're able. I don't know why, but I find it much easier to be consistent with Latin than with Spanish. If you'd like to feel even better about the work you're doing now, I'll share my 7 year old's schedule :) (And he's my 3rd 7 year old, so I've had practice!) Take it easy. Be good to yourself. It's okay. NO ONE gets it all done with kids the age of yours! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 There is still tons of time to teach them all you can. While they're interested now - sit them on the couch and READ READ READ - or for that matter let them lie on the floor with legos or whatever - coloring books and markers - but read to them. Now that I have a high schooler (while still schooling littler ones) I am SO GLAD I helped developed a love for good literature. We'd be in deep trouble if he didn't like reading at this point of the game. Enjoy them - they grow VERY fast. Stephanie ps I'm pregnant too - I hope I can remember this throughout those earlier years. Congrats to you. Don't worry about tomorrow for today has enough of it's own troubles :) - book of Matthew I think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 There is nothing in that six months that he won't be able to catch up on later. Really. I promise. If it were *just* this 6mos, that would be one thing, but I was pg all of 1st g, too, w/ AWFUL AM sickness, & a new baby in May. My dad died 2 weeks after we started K, & we spent that yr renovating our house (ourselves). What if it never gets better??? NO ONE gets it all done with kids the age of yours! ;) Really? Promise? LOL, thanks. I just don't want to alternate between needing a nap & yelling at them that they haven't gotten their sch work done, kwim? Or feel like I'm living in panick mode all the time. Not that I do enough to justify that feeling, just that I feel it. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I'll put my opinions in purple :) I need some help revising goals. Fwiw, I've got a 7yo, 4yo, 9mo old, & baby on the way...I'm about 4mos pg. Here's what we've got (for 2nd g & preK 4): Subject: My current plan--what we actually do--my ideas for revising my goals History: SOTW 2: 1+ch/wk, 1 narration/section, 1 map, & 1 project for every 3 ch or so--1 ch/mo or so--we're only on ch 17 w/ a new baby arriving in early Aug/late July, so I'm mostly skipping all the projects & trying to squeeze in 2 ch/wk. I've TRIED to cut back on narrations, but ds really needs the practice. This sounds fine to me. I hit a point after working on SOTW1 for 1.5 years that I decided we would finish if it killed me. I read a chapter a day, and the boys colored the pictures and the maps. Since we did it every day, they enjoyed it more because it was more like a story than a chopped up book, if that makes sense. Science: Usborne Earth, Space, Dinosaurs: 2-3 2 page spreads/wk, 1 narration ea, 1 pic ea, 1-2 project/ experiment every other week or so.--1 2p spread every other mo or so--duh. I got the Usb books so ds could read them himself. For the last week or so, I've had him read a 2p spread every day, copy the most interesting sentence for his narration, & draw a pic. It takes him under 30 min, he's delighted, & it's getting done. If we ever get around to the experiments, cool. If not, he's less science deprived. Spelling: SWO: 1 ch/wk--spelling? what's that?--just, um, do it.Nothing bad is going to happen if you put spelling off until after the baby. My guys do SWO independently--1 page a day, with a test on the 4th day. Any words they miss are added to the next test. Grammar: FLL: 1 lesson/day--5 lessons a day, one day a month, every 3 mos or so--I'd like permission to drop grammar. BOTH my 7yo & 4yo LOVE FLL; I hate it. No, I HATE it. I can't take it anymore, & I've decided that ds can be well-educated if he doesn't get any more grammar until 3rd g, when I will buy something better. Please??Drop it. Again, nothing bad will happen. I've recently picked it back up, but just as a guidance with the definitions. Every morning I print out about 5 sentences and have the boys mark them up (ie, circle the proper nouns, underline the common nouns). It's much more pleasant this way, and I don't want to bang my head against the wall. Reading: 1-2hrs daily independent reading, in the AM before everybody wakes up & during nap time, reading w/ me 20-30 min/day from 2nd g Abeka readers--ds reads all the time. He wakes up BEFORE 5AM, gets dressed, & reads until I get up (around 7-8, LOL). Unless he needs a nap because he's sick, he reads in the afternoons, too. I barely ever sit w/ him anymore to listen.--He can read an entire MTH book in about an hr, & when I do sit w/ him, he makes very few mistakes, but...at this pt, that's all he's reading. I feel like I ought to introduce something a little harder & continue to sit w/ him, at least once a week or so, to make sure he's on track & not developing any bad habits. Is that right, or is that ps background talking? Fwiw, I also read a ch or so from a longer novel at bedtime, when I put them to bed. Dh usually puts them down w/ a song, though.We try to have the older 2 alternate reading a Bible story aloud at night. Beyond that, I don't listen. And this goes in spurts, and then we don't do it for awhile. I'd try to introduce him to other chapter books and challenge him a bit. Reading (pK4): Alphaphonics: 1p/day Handwriting: HWOT: 1p/day; 1 letter/day for 4yo--we don't actually do this everyday, but it's not a big priority for me. I'm happy w/ both their handwriting, & ds can do his wb pretty independently, so no problems here.If you're happy with their handwriting, then let the workbooks go unless ds wants to do them. Math: Singapore: 1-2pp/day from the text, 1 lesson/day from the workbook--this is my fav subj to teach & thus the one I'm most likely to get to. No problems here, either. Math (pK4): Saxon: 1 side of 1 ws/day--1 side/wk? maybe.--I really loathe Saxon. It's SOOOO tedious. This is ds's leftovers from when he was doing Saxon, & we're STILL not using it all up! I've dropped the teacher wb lessons, etc., & just giving her the ws as if they stood alone. So she's practicing writing numbers & counting. (And that's for FIRST g!! You'd think it would be harder. Works for her, though.)If you hate it, then pitch it. She's 4. No sense in doing something you loathe just because you have it. Spanish: Spanish is Fun: make 5 flashcards OR do 1 lesson/day--look at the Spanish book & feel guilty--Ideally, I wanted my dc to learn a modern fl while they were preschool age, develop it in early elem, start Latin in 3rd g, & choose a language in 8th or 9th. Minimum. But I'm LAZY, & languages are not for lazy people. We've made it to ch 3, & we've been "doing" Spanish since 1st g. (We were w/out curric until Jul of last yr, though.) As much as I hate to, I'm thinking of dropping Spanish. I think I need to focus on basics, to brace us for the 2nd new baby in under 2 yrs, to reduce the feelings of guilt I have, & to be ready to start something (like Latin) fresh next yr. Otoh, if I'm a Spanish drop-out, what's to keep me from dropping out of Latin, too? Partly, the curric we're using, much as I like it, seems to be geared twd slightly older dc & mine struggle to keep up. I have to do a lot of the work orally w/ them. Dh says that's because I haven't taught ds to read & write Sp, only speak it. He might be right, & I might need to press on w/ some of dh's very valid suggestions. But then I look at the book, &... eeeeeew!Drop it. I'd start Latin after you've adjusted to the baby, and pick up Spanish in the future. So...am I way off? Being reasonable? I know there's not any music or art. Bummer, I'd like those. I plan to address individual artists/composers & their styles, etc as they come up on the timeline. Thanks for your thoughts! So those are my opinions. I hope you find a balance that works for you :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 Ok, Judo, it didn't quote you right, but about the Saxon--I know she's 4, but she begs. for. math. I think it's to try to keep up w/ ds, who loves math. ??? They're not really related to us! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 But it *will* get better, and your son *did* learn, even though his chaotic K year. We are on week 15 of SOTW for this year - LOL. But my kids know *tons* of history. My current 7 yo does math and phonics every day. We try to hit history once a week - a good week is twice. We hit science once a week or so - we're not using a spine, just reading books that he's interested in. Sometimes we do FLL, and copywork. At bedtime, I read books of his choice, and also Greek myths, and stories from British history (my choice). That is IT. And my youngest is 6. And with all the wisdom of my 7 years of hs-ing experience (lol - take that for what it's worth) - I am *fine* with this. I *know* it will be okay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I agree with ditching the stuff you don't like. I would do math with the 7 yo daily and some copy work/ dictation. Have him continue to read lots. How about getting SOTW on CD and listen to those and he can do a summary or draw a picture-something easy and fun. Science can be library books of his choice and some videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Ok, Judo, it didn't quote you right, but about the Saxon--I know she's 4, but she begs. for. math. I think it's to try to keep up w/ ds, who loves math. ??? They're not really related to us! LOL My ds4 begs for math. And it's not math unless he's holding a pencil and writing numbers or something. Drives me batty--I've got 3 I'm supposed to be teaching math to, but he's the one that is relentless in asking for it. I bought the Kumon 1-30 workbook (you can get them at B&N with the educator's discount). I just started at the beginning so they'll stretch out longer (he just turned 4, and I don't plan on starting him in Saxon until he's 5 because of time constraints). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I need some help revising goals. Fwiw, I've got a 7yo, 4yo, 9mo old, & baby on the way...I'm about 4mos pg. Here's what we've got (for 2nd g & preK 4): You know my kids aren't spaced as far apart, but a took a whole year off when the last was born. Having kids is tough! I also restored to paper plates for much of that year. :rolleyes: History: SOTW 2: 1+ch/wk, 1 narration/section, 1 map, & 1 project for every 3 ch or so--1 ch/mo or so--we're only on ch 17 w/ a new baby arriving in early Aug/late July, so I'm mostly skipping all the projects & trying to squeeze in 2 ch/wk. I've TRIED to cut back on narrations, but ds really needs the practice. You know it gets easier as they get older. Generally what I do is NO (oh horrors!) narrations till 3rd grade, then I do one a day for the whole year. By the end of the year they seem to do fine (or my oldest did) and in 4th she started writing her own narrations, which started out...less than desirable, but has gotten much better as the year has progressed. She can type up a storm on the computer and does well that way, but doesn't like to physically writing, which I make her do with her narrations. Science: Usborne Earth, Space, Dinosaurs: 2-3 2 page spreads/wk, 1 narration ea, 1 pic ea, 1-2 project/ experiment every other week or so.--1 2p spread every other mo or so--duh. I got the Usb books so ds could read them himself. For the last week or so, I've had him read a 2p spread every day, copy the most interesting sentence for his narration, & draw a pic. It takes him under 30 min, he's delighted, & it's getting done. If we ever get around to the experiments, cool. If not, he's less science deprived. I didn't do experiments with the kids when they were young. Too many helping hands. I got way to frusterated way too fast. That did change in time....actually she just go old enough to do most of it on her own and she deals with all the others butting in, not me. Being firstborn she loves being the center of attention and in control I like the few minuets of peace and quiet. Again I wouldn't overly worry about narrations. Spelling: SWO: 1 ch/wk--spelling? what's that?--just, um, do it. Spelling will be the same a year from now, drop it if you need to. It is easier for older children to observe the relationships in words that form spelling rules when they are older. Grammar: FLL: 1 lesson/day--5 lessons a day, one day a month, every 3 mos or so--I'd like permission to drop grammar. BOTH my 7yo & 4yo LOVE FLL; I hate it. No, I HATE it. I can't take it anymore, & I've decided that ds can be well-educated if he doesn't get any more grammar until 3rd g, when I will buy something better. Please?? Please do, I don't even start anything beyond simple capitals, periods and quotes till 3rd grade. I am just now, in 4th...and towards the end of 4th at that, getting ready to start her in Junior Analytical Grammar. She scored fine on her standardized test at the end of 3rd grade. Yes she got a little bit of a ding for not having mastered subjects and verbs, but not much of one. Reading: 1-2hrs daily independent reading, in the AM before everybody wakes up & during nap time, reading w/ me 20-30 min/day from 2nd g Abeka readers--ds reads all the time. He wakes up BEFORE 5AM, gets dressed, & reads until I get up (around 7-8, LOL). Unless he needs a nap because he's sick, he reads in the afternoons, too. I barely ever sit w/ him anymore to listen.--He can read an entire MTH book in about an hr, & when I do sit w/ him, he makes very few mistakes, but...at this pt, that's all he's reading. I feel like I ought to introduce something a little harder & continue to sit w/ him, at least once a week or so, to make sure he's on track & not developing any bad habits. Is that right, or is that ps background talking? Fwiw, I also read a ch or so from a longer novel at bedtime, when I put them to bed. Dh usually puts them down w/ a song, though. This is to your advantage. It means even if you are not formally covering things he is going to be learning. I would be much more concerned if he wasn't a reader. Spanish: Spanish is Fun: make 5 flashcards OR do 1 lesson/day--look at the Spanish book & feel guilty--Ideally, I wanted my dc to learn a modern fl while they were preschool age, develop it in early elem, start Latin in 3rd g, & choose a language in 8th or 9th. Minimum. But I'm LAZY, & languages are not for lazy people. We've made it to ch 3, & we've been "doing" Spanish since 1st g. (We were w/out curric until Jul of last yr, though.) Ummm, you are NOT lazy. You are running around changing diaper, getting juice and trying to train and teach your kids. Give yourself a break!! Really you can wait and the language door will not be closed. Next year my then 5th grader will start Lively Latin independently, and long term she wants to learn several languages, so at this point I just have to buy her the material and let her go...or get out of the way, more or less. We started out with The Learnables Spanish, but in time it went away because there were just other more important topics to cover. Lately she has been doing it on her own. Sometimes the most important things is that the love to learn. Overall it sounds to me like you know exactly where you are headed. You are just realizing you aren't going to get there when you though. It is ok. You will get there and your kids will still get a superior education. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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